Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Maids And I Test The Best Deodorants

When you schedule a summer wedding one of the last things you might think about is that your normal deodorant and antiperspirant product might not hold up under the heat and stress. When that thought finally does cross your mind you need to find a product that will really work under pressure.

2 of my Bridesmaids decided to help me find the best product by putting 8 popular brands to the test. We all used the number 1 ranked product for my August wedding, and the results are at the end of this article.

We rated each product 1-10 on odor protection, wetness stopping ability and on application/clearness. So a perfect score would be 90 (3 * 30).

Without further delay, the results:

Arrid XX: I liked the scent on this one, and it did go on clear, but it was not very strong or long lasting - I gave it a 19

Debbie's Score: 21

Rachel's Score: 18


Total Score for Arrid XX: 58

Ban Clear: White residue was not an issue with this one, but it was probably the weakest of the products in my opinion - my score was an 18

Debbie's Score: 20

Rachel's Score: 14

Total Score for Ban Clear: 52


Degree Spectrum Protection: Nice enough scent, and fair protection, but did not "kick-in" like the ads would have you believe. Not totally clear either - my score was a 20

Debbie's Score: 26

Rachel's Score: 22

Total Score for Degree Spectrum: 68


Dove Invisible Solid: Excellent scent, maybe the best, and did pretty well vs odor. Did not fair as well against sweat, and left some evidence on a dark top - my score was a 21

Debbie's Score: 25

Rachel's Score: 25

Total Score for Dove Invisible: 71


Lady Mitchum Hydro Solid: Very good sweat/odor protection, but scent was only fair. My product actually broke after 2 uses - my score was an 18

Debbie's Score: 22

Rachel's Score: 19

Total Score for Lady Mitchum: 59


Lady Speed Stick Invisible Glide: Very clear application, and a nice scent. Sweat protection was below average, probably not up to keeping the gown bone dry - my score was a 20

Debbie's Score: 23

Rachel's Score: 21

Total Score for Lady Speed Stick: 64


Secret Platinum Protection: Terrific scent and super strong protection against wetness and odor. Application might take a little practice, but this one really works - my score was a 29

Debbie's Score: 28

Rachel's Score: 28

Total Score for Secret Platinum: 85


Soft & Dri Power Stripe: Strange product with a blue stripe down the middle, but scent was okay. Sweat and odor protection were middle of the road for me - my score was a 22

Debbie Score: 20

Rachel's Score: 18

Total Score for Soft & Dri: 60


So in third place was Degree Spectrum with a 68, Second pace went to Dove Invisible with a 71, and the overall winner was Secret Platinum with an amazing score of 85.

So, how did the real life test come out? My wedding day was not super hot or humid, but the temps did manage to hit the low 90's and my maids were wearing light blue dresses. Their comments:

Debbie: We picked the right product, if I could go back and make my score a 30 I would. I can't believe my dress is dry and I can still smell the deodorant after that long day.

Rachel: This stuff worked just like it was supposed to, no sweat, no odor and no marks on my dress - excellent! To be honest my dress looks like it hasn't been worn.

Me: Of course I was nervous on my wedding day, but nobody knew it. I was totally protected all day long and felt very comfortable hugging people and dancing.

Whatever product you pick for your wedding, make sure it is up to the test, and won't leave a white trace.

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